3 types of RNA

• messenger RNA (mRNA)

• transfer RNA (tRNA)
• ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

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 DNA
Transcription
RNA polymerase

RNA
Translation
ribosomes

PROTEINS
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Transcription
1. RNA polymerase binds to promoter region upstream of the gene
2. RNA polymerase adds nucleotides complementary to the template
strand of a segment of DNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction
3. Uracil is placed as adenine’s complement
4. At termination, RNA polymerase recognizes signals and releases the
transcript
• 100-1,200 bases long

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Transcription

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Translation
• Ribosomes assemble on the 5’ end of a mRNA transcript
• Ribosome scans the mRNA until it reaches the start codon, usually
AUG
• A tRNA molecule with the complementary anticodon and methionine
amino acid enters the P site of the ribosome & binds to the mRNA

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Translation

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8
Interpreting the DNA code

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Translation elongation
• A second tRNA with the complementary anticodon fills the A site
• A peptide bond is formed
• The first tRNA is released and the ribosome slides down to the next
codon.
• Another tRNA fills the A site & a peptide bond is formed.
• This process continues until a stop codon is encountered.

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